Mississippi Turns Down Lawsuit Against Transgender Students

The Magnolia State bucked tradition this week when Attorney General Jim Hood said the state of Mississippi would not join 11 other states in suing the federal government over new transgender protections.

In a statement Thursday, Hood specified that, as the attorney general, he was the only one who could represent Mississippi in the suit. After reviewing the case, he has decided not to participate. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has joined the suit on behalf of his office, but not the state.

While Hood does not appear to be doing this solely out of the goodness of his heart, the attorney general does seem less concerned than his peers in the South over the so-called dangers of transgender rights in public schools.

"I suspect transgender people have been using the restrooms of their gender identity for many decades," Hood said in his statement. "This activity by a small percentage of people has gone virtually unnoticed by our society for probably a century. Nevertheless, the issue has now been placed before our courts."

Hood does not agree with the Obama administration's recent guidance on transgender rights because of the implied threat that public schools could lose federal funds for failing to comply.

Until that happens, he is not willing to join the Texas suit.

"As a practical matter, there has been no enforcement action brought by the federal government against a Mississippi school," he said. "If the U. S. Department of Education attempts to withhold money from a Mississippi school, I will take the appropriate action at that time."